Carry Me Home
by PussyWillowCat
Summary: She doesn't smile till halfway through the conversation, but right then I know. I could really fall in love with this girl. Adrian/Rose
1. Chapter 1

I watched as the girl I'd been staring at for a while now stepped near me. Her hair was long and dark. It had whipped around her face, shining in the harsh light. Her skin was almond colored, and her eyes were the color of hot chocolate.

"Hey, Little Dhampir."

She looked up.

"Yeah?" This girl's voice was melodious, silvery. I wasn't very poetic, but it sounded like bells.

I shrugged. "Just saying hi, that's all."

She watched me with her beautiful eyes, fringed by dark lashes that brushed her cheek whenever she blinked. Her scent was a mix of roses and cinnamon.

"You smell good," I blurted out.

"I... Um, what?" She looked confused.

"You smell good," I repeated. An adorable little crease appeared between her eyebrows.

"Are you joking? I've been sweating all day. I'm disgusting."

I shrugged again.

"Sweat isn't a bad thing. Some of the best things in life happen while sweating. Yeah, if you get to much of it it turns old and stale it's gross. But on a beautiful woman? Intoxicating. If you could smell things like vampires do, you'd understand what I'm talking about. Most people mess it up and drown themselves in perfume. Perfume can be good, especially if it goes with you chemistry. Mix about 20% of that with about 80% of your own sweat? Mmm... Dead sexy."

Great, I was rambling. About sweat of all things. But, there was a light glimmer of interest in her eyes. Yes!

"Well, thanks for the hygiene lesson but I don't need perfume and I'm going to wash all this sweaty action off me." Her gorgeous voice rang out again.

I lit a cigarette and and propped it in my mouth.

"Bad habit," she informed me.

"One of many. So, you here with Saint Vlad's?" I asked, smirking. I already knew she was, but I didn't want her to go.

"Yup."

"You gonna be a guardian when you grow up?"

"Obviously."

I took a drag from my cigar. Her chocolate eyes followed the smoke.

"How long till you grow up? I might need a guardian." I hoped, rather irrationally, that she would become my guardian. For a moment, I drifted off into a fantasy that involved little dhampir children.

"I graduate in the spring. Sorry, I'm already spoken for." Was it my imagination, or was there a slight hesitation in her words?

"Yeah? Who is he?" I felt a sinking disappointment. There was a wall of protectiveness in her eyes. Next to nothing would tear her away from the lucky bastard.

"_She's _Vasilisa Dragomir."

"Ah." I grinned. So this was the infamous Rose Hathaway.

"Nice to meet you, Rose Hathaway. I'm Adrian Ivashkov."

"And you think I'm trouble," she began. I grinned. My family was loaded. "You don't know anything about me, and I don't know anything about you."

I felt a brief flame of gratitude. She hadn't paired me with my family. No one ever did that.

"Want to?" I asked hopefully. She smiled, for the first time. I didn't think she could get anymore beautiful, but she just did.

Our little flirtation was ended as the sound of footsteps filled the space. A girl who looked twelve stepped out.

"_Another_ guy, Rose?" she asked.

I glanced at Rose, but she just winked.

"This Adrian Ivashkov," she said formally, and her tone told me she didn't like this girl very much.

"Nice to meet a friend of Rose's," I said charmingly.

"Rose is only friends with guys and psychopaths," the blonde girl said snidely.

"Well, since I'm a guy and a psychopath, that explains why we're such good friends," I said. To my delight, Rose didn't object.

'Don't wast your time on Rose. She's easy. Ask half the guys at school."

"Yeah, and you can ask the other half. Do a favor for Mia and she'll do _lots _of favors for you," Rose retorted. I couldn't help it, I made hissing noises and batted my hand.

"Are you done? The grownups would like to talk now." Burn.

Mia left.

"Well, I gotta go too," Rose said.

I glanced at her hopefully.

"See you tomorrow?" I asked. She gazed at me for a moment,.

"You know what? Sure. See you tomorrow, Adrian."

Rose Hathaway. Her name was sweet.

_See you tomorrow, Rose._

_TBC_


	2. Chapter 2

There had been another attack. I would have lied if I wasn't worried, wasn't scared. This was serious, and I couldn't spin it away with Adrian humor.

I was headed to the elite Moroi thermal spa when I heard a conversation that made me stop in my tracks.

"So she's what, seven years older than you? And I'm seven years younger."

So... Looked like Rose had a thing with Guardian Belikov. I couldn't explain the way I felt my heart almost jump. It wasn't a pleasurable sensation.

Cue me.

"Hello, Little Dhampir," I called. Rose looked up, and I am once again blown away by her beauty.

She glared at Guardian Belikov.

"Hello, Adrian!" She placed her hand on my arm. Oh, so that was how she wanted to play. I wrapped my arm around her, and saw Guardian Belikov's eyes narrow. Ha, take that.

We started away, and she tried to squirm out from under my arm.

"Hey, you decided to play, so you gotta see it through the end." I told her. The sound of laughter filled the hallway. I looked and saw a group of people, presumably her friends, coming closer.

"Hey Rose," I said hastily, strangely nervous. "Do want to come swimming with me?"

She looked up and nodded quickly, blushing.

"Hey guys," Rose called out to her friends. They eyed my arm, which was still wrapped around her slim shoulders.

"Rose! We've been looking for you!" The blonde one shouted out. She was Vasilisa Dragomir, she had their green eyes.

"Yeah... Um, Lissa, I gotta go do something... I'll see you later?"

Without waiting for a response, Rose spun around and walked away, winking at me as she went. I smiled and waited before following her.

Half an hour later we sat in a hotsprings. My arm was around her, and she didn't make any sign she didn't like it. Rose was wearing a maroon bikini, and she looked stunning. She looked classy, compared to the next to nothing bikinis some of the other Moroi were wearing.

I made as much small talk as possible, hoping to impress her.

"So, how'd you meet Lissa?" I asked, hoping this was an okay subject.

"In kindergarten. The teacher wanted us to write our names," she paused. I could see how this was lame. I mean, who wanted to write Vasilisa Dragomir and Rosemarie Hathaway?

"So I chucked my book at her and called her a facist bastard."

I laughed.

"An appropiate repsonse, no doubt." She grinned. Over the next hour I learned she was just as intriguing person wise as she was looks wise.

That was when I realized that I could already be in love with Rose Hathaway.

* * *

It was three AM when the knock on the door sounded through my room. I answered it, only in my boxers and a T-shirt. To my shock (and delight) there stood Rose.

The delight soon vanished when I saw the teartracks on her face. I opened my arms, and she fell into them.

"Shh, shh." I whispered comfortingly drawing my hand through her long hair.

"No-one else knew. I-I'm sorry..." More tears fell from her eyes. I wondered who had done this to her.

"What happened?" I asked, hesitating. I didn't want to hurt her.

"Dimitri... Left me f-for Tasha."

I tightened my arms around her.

That fucking bastard. He had the best woman in the world he throws it all away for some Moroi? How dare he?

I didn't voice any of these thoughts.

It wasn't until an hour later that she fell asleep. I watched her sleep, surpised at the utter hatred I felt toward Belikov. I wanted to rip him up, wanted to hurt him so much he would never hurt anyone again.

With a deep breath, I calmed down and lay down, suddenly content. I had Rose in my arms, and nothing could be better.

* * *

The next morning I awoke to see Rose still sleeping. I carefully edged my way out from under the bed, getting dressed. I was planning to get donuts and coffee for her, she had mentioned she liked them. After I had six chocolate donuts (who knew how much she ate?) I headed back to my room when I saw him.

Belikov.

Without a second thought I headed over to him, placing the donuts and coffee down so I wouldn't crush/spill them.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!?" I snarled at him. He turned and looked surprised to me. Whatever.

"Lord Ivashkov?" He asked, looking confused.

"Rose was the best thing to ever fucking happen to you, and you throw it all away for some slut!" My voice was rising, and I painstakingly lowered it. Belikov just stared at me, a flicker of unidentifiable feeling in his eyed.

"Rose is a child," he said slowly. I wanted to rip his head off.

"No she's not and you know it. You just let the best thing in your life go." With that I turned around and stalked toward my room.

When I got back, Rose was stirring. She sat up, her hair resembling a haystack.

"Morning Adrian," she grumbled. She stumbled toward the bathroom and I heard the shower turn on. I smiled and made my bed, then placed the donuts and coffee down on the table. Fifteen minutes later Rose stepped out, hair clean and in fresh clothing. My clothing. And let me say, it looked much better on her.

"DONUTS!" She shrieked and threw herself down on the chair, taking a huge bite of the first one. I laughed and sat across from her and took my own donut. We sat in silence for a while. Man, that girl can eat. She ate all five donuts and then started prowling my room for more.

I took a deep breath and prepared to ask her the question I had been dying to.

"Rose... Would you want to come with me a party later?"

**AN **

**Hehehe. A cliff hanger! **


	3. Chapter 3

_Rose's POV_

"Um… I can't. I'm sorry, but I'm busy."

His face fell. I felt guilt spread through me. We both knew I wasn't busy. I just didn't want to go.

_Adrian's POV_

I shouldn't be surprised, but in a way I am. It's all Belikov's fault, for hurting her so much. What the hell was he on?

Rose left, and I fell back onto my bed. I know she loved him, and I know it must hurt that he left her like that and honestly I've never had that happen to me but why couldn't she just say yes?

I hadn't see Rose in a while and I was pretty sure it was killing me. I woke up this morning and thought. _To hell with it._ I practically ran up to her room, but she wasn't there. An ominous feeling spread through me. Where was she? I normally wouldn't feel this worried but there's something different about this that I can't put my finger on. What happened to her?

I sit down and close my eyes and focus. It takes a while but soon I'm in a dream, her dream.

"_Rose. Where are you?"_

_She doesn't reply._

"_Rose! Where are you? Tell me!"_

"_Adrian! Oh, my God. You've got to help me. We're in a basement – Spokane-"_

It ends but I have enough.

I was the first one to see her, sitting by Mason's body. I approach her carefully.

"Rose? Rose, come on, honey," I take her hand and lead her away. The look on her face is horrifying. She looks devastated, and I wonder if she'll ever be okay.

"Rose… I can't explain how it felt, to see you like that," I whisper hoarsely. She stares at me.

"What did it feel like?"

"I was so worried. You looked devastated, and I thought you'd never be the same again."

She smiles at me.

"But I am okay."

She is, but I still worry. I'll always worry about her. Doesn't she know that already?

"Little dhampir, I have good news."

She perks up.

"I'm coming with you to the Academy."


End file.
